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Amos Frimpong, skipper of Kumasi Asante Kotoko, winners of the 2016/17 MTN FA Cup Thursday said the Cup final was a perfect opportunity to prove a point to their sceptics.

Asante Kotoko recorded an emphatic 3-1 victory over their bitterest rivals Accra Hearts of Oak to clinch their 9th FA Cup trophy at the Tamale Sports Stadium last Sunday, after a hat-trick from star player Saddick Adams.

Kotoko were the underdogs going into the game following an impressive run of form by Hearts, with five of their players impressing in the Black Stars B’s West African Football Union (WAFU) Cup triumph.

Frimpong told the GNA Sports that the FA Cup trophy has brought a huge respite for the team adding that, it was the only trophy left to be won this season after failing to clinch the league title, “so this match meant a lot to players”.

“We were extremely happy we proved a point with the win because a lot of people doubted us going into the final. But we, as the playing body, had absolute believe in ourselves and what we can do. We were confident and determined this time, and we are happy we achieved our aim,” the Black Stars B lateral defender said.

He said though they felt disrespected by the underdog tag, it hugely urged them to prove their worth to their fans and football lovers.

“The underdog tag really helped us because we took that as a challenge rather than something to dampen our spirit. I led the playing body to hold several meetings before the game to forget about the tag and enjoy ourselves on the pitch. We wanted to show everyone why we play for the biggest club on the continent and indeed we did that.”

Asante Kotoko will represent Ghana in next year’s edition of the Confederation of Africa (CAF) Confederation’s Cup, which is the second most prestigious inter-club competition on the continent.